Never Miss A Day

Familia Verde!

Can't believe another week has come and gone! Things really do move so fast here. I can't believe school starts next week! Thanks for all the letters, Macey sounds 2 years older already. Dad thanks for the things you shared, I know I don't always give a lot of feedback but I want you all to know I read and think about your letters! It's funny how you mentioned the Olympics, Dad, cause we were just at lunch and they had Olympic volleyball on TV. I haven't ever been tempted by TV until today. Satan found my weakness, hahah. Also to answer some other questions, the other Elders in our apartment are Spanish, they are West Baltimore, our apartment is just in the center-ish. Also yeah we just E-mail in a library, then we go do grocery shopping. I think grocery shopping is one of my favorite parts of P-day, hahah.

So this week was a lot of hard work (as always!) Last Tuesday I went on exchanges with a Zone Leader. He's English so it was pretty different, we had a car, we talked to a bunch of cool black people, and I could say whatever I wanted cause I speak English real good! We taught one guy who is an MMA fighter. He has a baptismal date and he's way cool. Then we taught an 80 year old minister, explaining the first vision to him was almost impossible. But at the end of the day, Elder Holmes (the zone leader) told me that he hasn't seen any new missionaries talk as much as I do. I told him that when you can speak their language you better take advantage of it, hahah. That day was hard though because my pump was broken or something and so I was high (blood sugar) all day. So hopefully that doesn't skew anything for the A1C, which I'm not too excited for.

I also got to go on splits one night with our branch mission leader because we had too many appointments. His name is Felix and he's pretty much the coolest guy ever. He just got back from his mission like a year and a half ago and he's only been a member for like 4 years max. He has ten brothers and sisters, none of which are members. But he is just a happy guy that knows how to do missionary work. We taught a lesson and after we left, our other lesson fell through, so we we're walking to a back up when we saw his next door neighbor, Toribio, in the street. He had a watermelon and he was dancing. We talked to him and asked if we could walk to his house and share a message. We did. First we asked if we could start with a prayer. He said of course, jumped up and went to his knees and started praying for us! Then we started a restoration lesson, halfway through he asked if he could sing a song for us and without further adieu he started belting a song about not having fears. He's pretty much the funniest guy ever. So we're working with him now!

This week I decided that I think my favorite part of the day is when I get to do personal study. I just can't get enough and after an hour I feel I've barely had any time to study. There is so much we can learn from the scriptures if we just study them. So my challenge to you (family and whoever else is reading this) is to make sure you are reading your scriptures EVERY DAY. Never miss a day. If you have to read a verse before you crash that's fine, but try and study the scriptures every day. I'm so grateful to have had seminary and church leaders who encouraged me to do this before my mission and I have learned to love it even more on my mission.

I love you all and I know the Lord is blessing my family when I am here. I pray for you everyday.

-Elder Greene

P.S. I may need to buy a bike eventually, is there enough money on my card? 

Getting Kind of Homey

Hey!

Well sounds like everyone's partying in Tahoe! I'm a little jealous but I'll be ok, hahah. Thanks so much for the package, the blanket is awesome. And food is always welcome in a missionary's life. Especially since we walk so much that my insulin ratios are at an all time low! (60-70% of what I usually do, pretty soon I won't be diabetic!) Me and Elder Knudsen (an Elder who lives in our apartment, he plays volleyball) are real excited about the volleyball. That's so crazy that Jeff (Chapman) is leaving that soon! He'll be a Catracho! That's what Hondurans call themselves, I've met a lot of them. Is he San Pedro Sula? Or Te Guzi Galpa? Also thanks for the hymn Mom, I do love that hymn, my district sang it in the MTC as a special musical number.

Well this week was super sweet! We've been working really hard to find new investigators and to really get things going here in East Baltimore. We met one woman named Rosa Chavez. We contacted her in the streets and she asked us why there are so many churches and which one is the true one? Yeah it was pretty sweet, haha. So we set an appointment and talked to her on Saturday. She had read the whole Restoration pamphlet and highlighted things she had questions on. She still has doubts but me and Elder Rose have a lot of hope that she will be able to overcome those.

The weather here is a little crazy, some days it's hot and other days it pours rain. Rain that I've never experienced at least. The thunder is also crazy. But we had a couple good days of tracting and teaching in the rain this week, which made me feel like a true missionary hahah.

Spanish is coming along, it can be frustrating sometimes because you just want to be fluent all ready but I know I just got to be patient with myself. I have had some pretty cool experiences with Spanish already! Like by Tuesday of this past week I had already done an anointing and a blessing in Spanish! (I'm sure it didn't make sense but hey, it's the thought that counts). I also got to bear my testimony to our little branch yesterday!

The Pedro's Tacos shirt is so sweet! Though I do miss my little California burrito, I get fed a lot of food here. My favorite so far are called Pupusas, they are like Indian Fry bread with pork and beans inside, then you put lettuce and hot sauce on top. It's actually kinda sick how much we eat, I want to throw up a lot of times but you can't cause you have to spiritually uplift a family not give them something nasty to clean. Also I've had to return to soda because they offer it to you all the time here. Elder Rose says if you're not putting on weight you're not a good missionary and I"m starting to think he's right.

This week I've really begun to realize how short a mission is. Elder Trevor Ward gets back in two and half months! And every week is starting to get faster and faster here. I used to always think that two years is a long time but I've talked to many Spanish people who haven't seen there families for much longer than that. One woman, Catalina, hasn't seen her extended family, including her parents for 14 years since moving to the States. I thought how hard that must be and I am so glad and so blessed to live here in the US and to have such an awesome family. I love you guys (including all the extended family!) and I'm so grateful to be a missionary. I think that East Baltimore is actually getting kinda homey!

Love,

Elder Greene

 

Reminiscing about Zach's bunkbed boxspring (?)

Downtown Baltimore

Rainy Day Baltimore

Who Said I Couldn't Go Foreign?!

Hola!

This past week has been so awesome! I won't mince words cause I'll try to tell you as much as I can!


I am serving in the most ghetto (and most fun) area of the mission, East Baltimore! My address is 24 N. Linwood Ave. Baltimore, MD 21224 (for my package(s) and so you can look this place up on Google Earth or something). Anyways this place is awesome. Its so opposite to everywhere I've ever lived. For starters, everyone is either black or Espano. The Spanish people are usually from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, or Guatemala. Oh and if you find white people they're usually drunk or high. The city has trash everywhere and there are always sirens going off (honestly cause this place is bad news bears, my companion calls it Babylon). J-Walking is our missionary way of travel, no bikes or cars. Sometimes bus though. Oh and there are huge foot-long rats here, they're sick! My companion is Elder Rose. He is from Morgan, Utah and he is an awesome missionary. He served in Baltimore West and Toussen (the other areas of our district) but he has never served in this area. It's called shotgunning I guess, when two missionaries enter an area completely new. Anyways we got to the apartment, unpacked for 15 minutes, and hit the streets. It was crazy that first day. I couldn't understand much, and we contacted a lot of people. But after doing stuff all day, we eventually met Melvin, Sulema, and Jose. We taught them the first discussion right there on their patio. Melvin was the most affected, he's 20ish and they are from Honduras. I even got to recite the first vision and bear my testimony! But yeah they became our first new investigator. (Melvin is the only one who is progressing now). 


At first missionary work was hard. And not for the reasons I thought it would be. I thought street contacting or knocking doors would be the hard part. The hard part is really just telling your body to not be tired and to just work. But after 4 days or so I'm not as tired and I am really starting to love missionary work! Spanish is coming right along, you learn fast cause you're talking to Spanish people all day. (Me more listening than talking, but give me a couple more weeks). But yeah I can street contact by myself now, as long as they don't say anything too unusual that I don't understand. I also got to challenge a woman Maritza yesterday to baptism! So I'm still getting to do all the fun stuff, haha.


Our branch is small but awesome. The whole congregation is probably smaller than the young women in our Ward. But we have ten branch missionaries! They are going to help a ton. I love it here and even though this place would normally be kinda scary, I'm a missionary and honestly I've never been afraid here, hahah. 


It sounds like everyone is doing awesome. Macey's EFY sounds sweet! It's crazy to hear how everyone is getting older and I'm not around, I'm not sad or anything, it's just weird. Jared props to you and all your accomplishments hahah. I love all of you, I don't have a whole lot of time to E-mail everyone but I'll try to send some letters out in the next couple weeks. Have fun in Tahoe!


Love, 


Elder Greene

Zach's District in the MTC

Zach's companions in the MTC 

Elder Mower and Elder Burwell (Missionaries in Zach's district)

Zach getting mail!

Elder Greene in Baltimore!!

PS: Tell me if these photos work! Oh and put my address on Facebook! I'll try and get a picture of me and Elder Rose soon, he's awesome!

Last Letter from MTC!

Hola!

This is it! Last letter I'll write you here in the MTC! Sorry you didn't get this yesterday, our P-Day switched because yesterday was in-field orientation. Thanks so much for the letters, Connor's letter was great and it was awesome to read the (volleyball team missionary) newsletter. I'm so grateful to have so many examples for me, especially my cousins.

So here are the details for my flight. I arrive at the travel office at 6am with 6 others (all the English speakers). I should be at the airport in my terminal between 7:30-8:00am, this is when I'll call you and I will buy another calling card just in case that one runs out. My flight leaves at 10:00 am and it's a direct flight to Baltimore, arriving at 4:15pm (Maryland Time). So be ready for my call! I'll call the home phone but if that doesn't work, I'll call the cell phones. Be ready with questions hahah! And if you want to tell me anything you can write a dearelder today and I'll get it on Monday.

My insulin should come the day I get there, my mission president has been directed to put it in the fridge. Mom will you change the address for my Omnipod stuff or what? Let me know? Also when will you send the blanket? I should be able to send you a letter on Tuesday or Wednesday I assume. With the blanket, I'd also like some more gel. Also it seems I forgot a normal sweatshirt, I have my green jacket and a wool coat, no sweatshirts. So do you want to send me one that I own or should I just buy a new one at Walmart or something?

Well I'll admit it, I am a little jealous you were all at the beach house this week. At first I didn't care but then on Wednesday, we got to watch the fireworks coming from the Stadium of Fire until like 11. But once morning came all was well, I realize that I'm doing a lot more important things (no offense). But I hope you all had fun! I'm sure Jared is better left handed than I am right handed now. My goal in Maryland is to not be fat anymore. (Besides baptizing everyone)

This week Elder Phyl Curtis came in! And guess what?? He is in my Zone!!!! It's nuts, but I leave on Tuesday so it's short lived. Good to hear that Cory is getting ready to go! Elder Kyle Jarvis and I thought he came in this week so we were sad when he didn't come. Oh well. He'll be a great missionary!

There isn't a whole lot to say in this letter. This week we had a new goal, when you have a tie on, you have to speak Spanish. It's hard but way fun! Other than that it was a pretty normal week. I played a bunch of soccer, studied, and taught "investigators". We're going to pack a lot today and I have to get another haircut... so a bunch of fun stuff, hahah.

As the time gets closer to leave, me and my district are all pretty much the same. Sometimes we're so excited we can't sit still and other times we're scared out of our minds cause this is crazy, hahah. But I know I just need to trust in my Heavenly Father and realize that I am on his errand. He'll protect me and help me. I loved your scripture by the way mom, "doubt not, fear not." I don't know if I've told you guys this but I've decided that Faith isn't having no fear, but doing things in spite of your fear. Anyways, I'm so excited to go out to Maryland and start this crazy adventure. It's possible I might be doing service my first week! That storm sounds crazy. Utah has been having problems itself, with the fires and what not. It finally rained on Thursday so hopefully that helped (I have no way of telling if it did, except that it doesn't rain ash here anymore.)

Well I'm gonna write Elder C. Ward now so I'll cut this letter a little short. But hey we'll talk on Tuesday! It'll come fast I'm sure! Love you, hope everyone is well!

-Elder Greene

P.S. Best of luck Dad on your presentation!

Alma 29:9 Coincidence

Buenos dias! (It's 7:00 am)

Thanks for the letters mom and dad! I can't believe Elder C Ward is in New Zealand! I can't wait to get that letter mom, hopefully it comes today. I heard the Wards were at the temple from Elder Allen, hahah, (or Aw-Yung Jung-Low in Cantonese, at least that's what it sounds like). Too bad I didn't see them. So glad to hear Jared is recovering super fast! I wish I could be there when you plant one, ten foot line your senior year. (While I get fat and can't jump). Oh, they "scooped" my wart out this week! Little did I know scooped meant scalpeled! He cut off the surface and then said oh yeah this ones deep! So he proceeded to scalpel my foot and I just had to laugh it off (Holden Greene style). But I'm all good now!

But guess who I did see this week?? Dr. Ray Peterson, Zoe's dad! He happens to work at the same building Elder Wright does physical therapy in! I saw his name on the directory so we went to the dermatology office and I talked to secratary and she let me back in his office! Hahah, he got a picture of me and him and sent it to Zoe. He also says that him and Shawn Peterson were talking about dad recently and now Ray remembers dad more. Anyways, crazy stuff!

This week I got to meet my Mission President (and his wife)! They are so awesome! The meeting was in the room that I have class, probably cause I had been here 6 and a half weeks and the English speakers had only been here for a half a week. President Richards told me there are only 12 Elders that speak Spanish in the mission, out of a 120 or so! I am so pumped hahah. They are actually taking a 13 year old daughter and a 16 year old son out there as well, crazy yeah? But meeting my mission president just affirmed once again that I am supposed to go to Maryland Baltimore. He has many ideas as to how things are going to go and one thing he said was our "mission scripture" and it's Alma 29:9! Which is my mission scripture on my plaque! So that was awesome. Then later at the devotional on Tuesday they looked for some of their missionaries (there was me, 6 English I think, and a new Spanish speaker, he'll get there 6 weeks after me.) But anyways they could only find me so they took a picture with me hahah.

I think I'll have travel plans by tomorrow or Monday so i'll let you know when I'm flying out!

Devotional was awesome. We had 10 Apostles in the room!! All except Elder Packer and Elder Hales. That's insane. Elder Perry spoke using a slide show based on lots of research from various groups. My favorite one was that as we receive higher education, we are more likely to be active in the Church, whereas ALL other churches are less likely to be active with more education. To me this is just another testimony of why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true church on this Earth. The more I study and the more I learn here, the more I realize that the Plan is perfect for us. That the Gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect. That we are the only Church led by an Omniscient Being, Jesus Christ. Elder Packer said many more things that I wish I could tell you but I don't have time, (so maybe ask me after the mission). But one other thing: Technology has become vastly more complex since 1830 (when the church was restored) "this is no coincidence." I just thought that was pretty cool.

What else... Oh the MTC has smelled like a camp ground for the past couple days. We've been told there are fires in Utah and Colorado? I don't know, but it's pretty crazy. Ash falls from the sky and everything smells like campfire. The sky is all nasty as well. So it will be nice to leave to Baltimore!

Well I am just living up every day here! I seriously feel like i've been here for 3 weeks, not 7 and a half! I love you guys and love your letters and insights! Have fun in California!

-Elder Greene

Men Are That They Might Have Joy

Mi familia!

How's it going?? I can't believe how fast time moves here. Seems like it was two days ago when I wrote you last! I'm down to 2 and a half weeks!! I'm nervous but so excited! I'd like to thank everyone for letters! Especially tell Grandma and Grandpa Peart thanks! I'm glad Jared is doing well, seems like a lot of prayer and inspiration went into his surgery. You kinda left me hanging for 6 days on whether or not it went well! (Disclaimer: Sent a surgery update the day of surgery through dearelder.com but apparently Zach never got it!) But I figured it probably did considering no letters. How is Elder Connor Ward's visa coming along? Any news?

First off, Mom I got the pants, sorry I kept forgetting to tell you. I love them, they are way sweet! Thank you! Sounds good with the necklace! (medical id) In addition to the Elder Wards and Elder Haviland, could you get me the Ogdens home address? Thank you! No rush by the way. Also, I'm thinking I might want to get a new set of English scriptures here, is that ok? It would be like $35, let me know.

So I'll start with some funny stories. I was walking in the bookstore with my companions and guess who I saw?? Mr. B!!! The Greenfield Elementary art teacher! I don't know when he stopped working there but he hasn't changed a bit! Him and his wife are going on a mission and they were cracking up that, even here, someone's stopping them to say,"Mr. B!"

So this week and last week brought many friends into the MTC! I saw Elder Daren Woodward (Zach's BYU roommate) and his companion this past Monday and I said hi. Then I looked at his comp’s name tag and guess who? Elder Chase Plowman! Hahah, small world people.

This past Sunday I got made District Leader... It's been something new and I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn. So it turns out, this week is the best week to be here at the MTC. All the mission presidents are coming on Saturday along with the apostles and possibly the Prophet!! I will be able to meet with my mission president in a several hour meeting tomorrow night. And unless some English speaking Maryland Baltimore missionaries came on Wednesday, I will be the only one in the meeting... Hahah.

So I don't know how much I've told you but Elder Wright's knee has been pretty messed up lately. For a while they thought it was a torn minuscus but it turned out to be a bruised bone. He does physical therapy twice a week and for about a week he was on crutches. Let me tell you, in the MTC, crutches are a pain. But it was nice to hear it wasn't a torn minuscus after many doctor’s appointments, x-rays, and an MRI. So he is on the road to recovery! Moving slow with mi companero roto was patience trying at times but I was reminded of my setting apart. I believe he said something along the lines that I would not always be able to move at the pace I wanted to because of my companions. Hahah.

This past week we talked a ton on the Spirit and revelation. I must say I am so so grateful I got to do that farewell talk because it has come into my life so many times here at the MTC. So some things that I really like that we learned: The Spirit is a member of the Godhead, he should be treated as if God or Jesus Christ were helping us teach.- Paraphrased Elder Holland, I think this is awesome. Too often we take the Spirit for granted in our lives! Another thing I loved is that many times personal revelation won't just come to us on our knees while we're praying. Most of the time we need to be pondering our question and studying the scriptures for the answer! You wouldn't believe how much the Spirit and revelation comes into play with our teaching. Essentially the first lesson should come down to, Christ's church is restored on the Earth today and you can know of this truth through revelation, through reading the Book of Mormon, pondering and prayer. So I just want you guys to know that God wants to give us things, he is anxious to give us blessings, but we need to work for them!

Well I can't believe how fast time goes! You guys are going to the beach next week?? I'm jealous but not that jealous. "men are that they might have joy" and let me tell you, the most joy I can have right now is spreading the Gospel (or preparing to!) Alma 29 talks about this, check it out!

Love you guys!

-Elder Greene

"Turning Out"

Hey guys!

Another week come and gone! Hope Macey had an awesome birthday, sounds like you guys had fun! I'll be writing a letter today for Macey and Dad today so check the mailbox. Thanks for the medical help mom! I got my test strips. I haven't gotten any letters about Jared yet but hopefully I will today. I hope he is doing well, I've said many a prayer in his behalf. (Note: Jared had surgery on his shoulder (too much volleyball!), literally as Zach was sending his letter. Surgery went really well, better than we could have hoped. Just no volleyball for a long time.)   I hope Connor gets his visa soon! I met an Elder from New Zealand this week and he was way cool.

Well we are currently 5 and a half weeks into the MTC, it honestly is hard to believe. Time flies here! We watched an old devotional film in class the other day by Elder Holland and I think it's known as the "Don't Go Home" talk. He talks about how he would tie each missionary down to their chair if he was allowed to because his mission meant so much to him. (Gotta love that guy) But it got me thinking, how much does my mission mean to me already? The past 5 weeks have brought more growth and change into my life than any other time period ever. I can honestly say I'm not the same person I was when I came in. Now thinking of all the progression that's possible in the next 22 and a half months, my mission just seems to be more important to me every day! I can't wait to go serve the people of Maryland!

This week we also watched one of the best devotionals I've ever seen (another film). This one was Elder Bednar and it was called "The Character of Christ". In it he talked about how we as humans are very "turned in". We think only of ourselves or occasionally our family or friends. He proceeded to talk about how one reason Christ was perfect was that he was constantly "turned out". Think of when he suffered in the Garden and came out and a bunch of guards are there to take him. One of his apostles chops a guys ear off and Jesus heals him! He doesn't complain or think about his sufferings, which was the greatest of all suffering. He had just bled from every pore yet he is concerned about a man, who wants to kill him, and his ear. Christ is such a perfect example and I'm so blessed to be able to represent him and share his Gospel. So my challenge would probably be this week, try and turn out, not in. I'm trying and honestly I'll be trying for the rest of my life because it is so hard!

Well as of this week my district is the oldest in the zone! We are doing well, Elder Young and Elder Permann are the zone leaders and they are awesome. I wish I could send you pictures but it will just have to wait til Maryland. (We can't even print them anymore here). Next week we'll host for the first time. This means we get to pick up an Elder's luggage when he first arrives and guide him through! We're all pretty excited.

Me and Elder Young convinced our district to start playing soccer a couple days a week, hahah. Although I've been getting a lot better at basketball (we play every day), I just love soccer. Plus it's out in the sun and let me tell you, you don't see much sun here. So we've been having a lot of fun with that. Elder Young played in high school so he's pretty good. I also got to go to physical therapy with Elder Wright this week. Which essentially means I got to work out for two hours straight! I loved it, they have treadmills and machines and free weights. So I'm excited to go again this week. The only part thats hard is there is two TVs there playing ESPN. I resisted the temptation, hahah.

Well I hope all is well in the Greene home! Sounds like California was awesome! Sorry its 109 mom, all the kids here are like, wow it's so hot. And I just laugh cause they don't even know. But theyre all going to Honduras so they better buck up! Out of time, love you guys!!

-Elder Greene